Have you ever found yourself visiting a city wishing you knew the sights to see and skip? Every city has their tourist traps but it’s so hard to know what to avoid unless you have friends or family living there to share the inside scoop. I have had several friends visit San Francisco since moving here and every time I encourage them to get out of the downtown core and into the neighborhoods where the real personality of the city can be seen and felt. That said there is one exception I insist on people experiencing every time that is without a doubt a tourist trap but the coolest place ever, the Embarcadero Ferry Building. It is actually a fully operational ferry terminal but also a high end style market with vendors ranging from Heath Ceramics to Blue Bottle Coffee, James Beard Award winning restaurant The Slanted Door to Cowgirl Creamery and even a fully functioning farmers market several times a week. To say I love this place is a massive understatement. I decided to visit last Saturday and actually shop the market for groceries for the first time ever. Here are just a few of the cool things you will see when you go. I promise, this is one tourist stop worth doing when in San Francisco.

Embarcadero Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building
San Francisco, California 94111
415.983.8030

Cap’n Mike’s Holy Smoke, a must on market day

My favorite is the salmon with lemon add tomatoes…maybe my most loved food item ever, a bold statement, I know

This is what happiness looks like

Market under the skyscrapers

Kraut on the Bay

Beauty in the little things

Early girls!

Hot sauce from scratch at the pepper stand

These beauties!

One of my favorite statues

You can tell it’s fall

Beautiful lighting

The most visually stunning stand in my humble opinion

One more since it’s my fave

Handmade aprons I would say are truly fashionable

The best stop for a lovely and useful gift

Donuts from scratch

Fresh steamed buns

I always stop and admire this butcher block